Kellie M. Nadeau

Hartsville, SC- Kellie Marie Nadeau, 40, formerly of Torrington passed away peacefully in her sleep on September 22, 2022.  She was returning home from her final round of testing for Kidney Transplant approval in Charleston.  Born on August 25, 1982, in Torrington, CT, the first-born child of Maria Ann Longhi of Torrington and Michael Eugene Nadeau of Dunedin, Florida.

        Kellie was a fighter; she was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes at the age of 14 and fought hard against this terrible disease that eventually led to many complications including Stage 5 renal failure.  Despite all these challenges, it never stopped her from continuing the fight and it certainly never stopped her from her obsession with shopping, especially for purses and becoming a shopaholic on Amazon.  She would never turn down the opportunity to go shopping in Florence, SC whenever her sister would visit, nor would she ever miss an opportunity to jump out of nowhere and scare you when you least expected it.  Her infectious laugh and humor will be missed the most by her family.  Kellie loved to float in her pool for hours on end, blast music and sing/dance in her kitchen while she cooked or baked her heart out.  Even if she was in her wheelchair, she still danced.  She was an avid TikTok junkie and would share all her funny finds with her family just to brighten their day.   After moving to South Carolina, she gained interest in bird feeding and gardening.   She even welcomed her early morning wakeup call from her Carolina Wren we nicknamed “Summa.”

        She was a graduate of Torrington High School, class of 2000 and performed on the Raiderette team.  But Kellie’s greatest accomplishment was opening her own cafe in Torrington called Pop Culture where she made her famous bubble teas.  This is where people became truly inspired by her and really saw her strength.  .

         Survivors, in addition to Kellie’s parents, include five siblings, Shelby of New Port Richey, FL, Janelle and her boyfriend John Lucas IV of New Hartford, CT, Alex of Torrington, CT, Cora and Joseph of Canton, CT.  In addition to her siblings, she leaves behind her fiancé of several years and amazing caretaker Hansel Schneider of Hartsville, SC and his father Edward Schneider.  Kellie loved and thought of him as her own dad and always looked out for him.  She also leaves behind two nephews, Andrew and Adrian of New Port Richey, FL, several aunts, uncles and cousins who will miss her dearly, and her closest friends, Jackie and Maddie, for whom the family is grateful for their friendship.  Kellie was an awesome dog mom, her beloved Pit Bull Beanz, German Shepherd Dora, and her Aruba rescue puppy Benny will greatly miss their mom, they brought so much joy to her life.  She was predeceased by her devoted maternal grandparents, Peter and Patricia Longhi of Torrington. 

        The family would like to thank the dedicated nurses and staff at Fresenius Kidney Care Home Dialysis in Hartsville for everything they did for Kellie, they were like her second family.  The family would also like to thank Dr. Jonathan Key from Yale New Haven Hospital and a special thank you to Dr. Brian Sponseller of Hartsville for his dedication and persistence on getting Kellie connected with the transplant team in Charleston.  The family and Hans are eternally grateful for getting her so close to getting a transplant. We also ask those reading Kellie’s story to consider becoming an organ donor to save lives like hers. 

        Graveside services will be held Saturday, October 8, 2022, at 10:00a.m. at New St. Francis Cemetery, 863 S. Main St., Torrington. Gleeson-Ryan Funeral Home, Torrington, is in care of arrangements. She will be deeply missed by all who knew her and her will to live and fight was truly admirable.  Fly high Kellie until we meet again. 

        In lieu of flowers, please donate in memory of Kellie to New Life for Paws Foundation where she rescued her Aruba dog Benny.  Checks can be made payable to Aruba Flight Volunteers, 15 Hiawatha Rd, Putnam Valley, NY 10579
http://paypal.me/arubaflightvolunteer
Venmo @arubaflightvolunteersNLFP

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